Ventura County Japanese American Citizens League
High School Senior 2016 Scholarship Application
Dear Student:
This form contains the Ventura County JACL 2016 high school senior scholarship application. There are 7
parts to this application, including:
1. General Information
2. JACL Involvement
3. Letter of Recommendation
4. Transcript
5. Verification
6. Personal Statement
7. Activities, Awards and Honors
There are a total of four pages as part of this application, not including the letter of recommendation or
transcript. Please complete this application to the best of your ability.
To be eligible, you must:
 be a high school senior for the calendar year 2015-2016 and
 graduating from a Ventura County high school (public or private) and
 be planning to attend a two or four-year college, university, or trade school in fall 2016 and
 either be of Japanese ancestry, or a member of JACL.
Please understand that there is a different application for the national JACL scholarship, as eligibility
requirements are different for that scholarship program.
Any questions regarding this application, or for information on the national scholarship, as well as
membership forms, please contact Jennifer Kuo, at jenkuo@verizon.net, or (805)405-5098. Please
remember the deadline is April 1, 2016. Thank you for your support and interest.
A.
General Information
Name: _______________________________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code:____________________________________________________________________
Phone number: (______)_____________ Birthdate: ___/___/___
Email Address: _______________________________________________________________________
Member of JACL? __________ Parents members of JACL? __________
We understand that college today is very expensive and a stretch for most families. However if you feel that
you have special financial concerns that you would like to bring to the attention of the scholarship
committee, (i.e. single parent, unemployment, etc.), please give a brief description below:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Are you currently employed? If so, where and how many hours do you work on average?
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please list your high schools attended, beginning with your current school:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Overall GPA (4-point scale): _________________ or (5-point scale):________________
SAT or ACT score: ______________________
Colleges, Trade Schools, Community Colleges to which you have applied:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Colleges to which you have been accepted to date: _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please name your first choice school, regardless of whether or not you have yet received an acceptance
letter: __________________________________
Please indicate your intended major: _______________________________
If you are NOT a member of JACL, please tell us about your Japanese ancestry. If you are a member of
JACL, this question is optional. _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
B.
Japanese Culture and JACL Involvement
The JACL was founded in 1929 and is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization.
Although originally founded to aid newly arrived Japanese immigrants and their families, the JACL has
worked to effect positive social change for all, regardless of ethnicity.
The Vision statement of the JACL reads:
Aware of our responsibilities of the oldest and largest Asian Pacific American civil rights organization, JACL
strives to promote a world that honors diversity by respecting values of fairness, equality, and social justice.
The Mission statement of the JACL reads:
The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization whose ongoing mission is to secure and
maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and bigotry.
The leaders and members of the JACL also work to promote cultural, educational, and social values and
preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community.
How have you, or how can you further the Vision and Mission of the JACL?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
While it is not necessary to be a member of JACL to qualify for our local scholarship, we do give preference
to those who have participated in JACL events, on both a local and national scale. Please tell us about
some of the JACL activities that you have participated in:
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
C.
Letter of Recommendation
Please submit one letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, employer, coach, or community
leader. The letter must be submitted with this application. If you are also applying for the National
JACL Scholarship, you may use a duplicate copy of the letter required for that application.
D.
Transcript
Please submit a complete copy of your official transcript. Clear photocopies are acceptable.
E.
Verification
I have completed this application honestly, and to the best of my ability. Any deliberate misrepresentation of
information contained in this application may revoke rights to this scholarship award. This application is
submitted in full and I understand all requirements and requested information for this Ventura County JACL
scholarship.
_______________________________________
Signature of applicant
___________
Date
Applications and all supporting documents must be mailed and postmarked no later than April 1, 2016.
Please submit to:
Ventura County JACL Scholarship Committee
2686 Velarde Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
F.
Personal Statement
It would be impossible for us to truly understand exactly who you are, what your interests are, and what
makes you unique in this one short application. However, we would like for you to provide us with a short
statement to give us an idea who you are as an individual. We prefer you to type or print, a single page
personal statement and it should be included with this application.
G.
Activities, Awards and Honors
Please fill in your selection of school, athletic, and community related activities and awards on the
spreadsheet provided.